World Water Day 2016

Greenpeace released a report about the impacts of world’s coal power plants on global water resources. The results show that world’s coal power plants are consuming the amount of water, which could meet the basic requirements for 1 billion people. New coal power plants are still being approved, even in the most water stressed areas of the world. Globally 44% of the proposed coal power plants are in areas categorized as high water stress. Among them, a quarter are situated in red-list areas, where water demand is higher than supply, risking running out of water. In many of these areas a conflict with other water users like farmers is already happening. The report also shows the way to resolve the water-coal conflict by stopping licencing of new coal plants in most water stressed areas, by phasing old coal power plants and phasing in low water intensive renewable energy.

Drought in Maharashtra, Khomnal Village pond at Mangalwheda taluka, Solapur district in Maharashtra serves primarily as recharge for ground water sources in the village. The pond usually has water around the year. As far as villagers remember, the pond has never been completely dry at any point of the year. However, this year in march, the pond is completely dry.